Telltale Signs
by Drakulya
Summary: Ash goes skiing with Misty... what could ruin this perfect trip? AshxMisty (duh). Please R & R! Thanks! Another chapter is up... 7 in total - COMPLETE
1. The Practice Session

Telltale Signs

A/N: Hello everyone! My first Pokemon fic! Wow! *Gasp* Well anyway please read and review, I shall appreciate it heaps. Thanks! ^___^

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Chapter One

"Bored... so... damn... bored..." 

Ash was staring at the TV, which happened to be turned off, 'BORED' written all over his forehead (he had done that with biro pens out of sheer boredom). 

It was the summer holidays, and he was home alone, with nothing to do. 

What a holiday for a Pokemon League master. 

Just then, the phone rang. After about 10 rings, Ash finally managed to drag himself over to the receiver and answer the call.

"Hello, Ash Ketchum speaking," he droned into the mouthpiece.

"Ash! What took you so long to answer the phone, dammit?" a familiar voice growled into his ear.

Ash bolted upright from his lazing position on the couch like a spring. His hands began to sweat. He could tell that his face was beginning to flush as well. "Misty? Is that you?"

__

"Damn right, it's me. What other girl has your phone number?" Misty giggled. 

"Urgh. I see what you mean." Ash steadied his slightly shaking hands and tried his best to think of beautiful scenery to calm himself down - vast oceans and waterfalls and lush green meadows and bouncing deer and deer droppings and - 

"Are you there, Ash? Ash?!" 

"Er, yeah! I'm just, uh -" The answer 'Just thinking of deer droppings' was at the tip of his tongue, but he knew that if he said that Misty would think he was crazy and might never talk to him again. "- drawing on my face with biro!" he blurted.

There was silence on the other end of the line. Ash's brain whirred nervously. 

Then, Misty burst out laughing. _"Bwahahahaha!! I can't believe the 'great' Ash Ketchum's been reduced to scribbling on his own face! Hahaha!!"_

Now, Ash knew that his face was flushed. Thank goodness video phones weren't everyday household appliances. He made a mental note to remember to scrub off the giant word on his forehead ASAP.

"So... what's up? Why did you phone?"

"Well actually, I called to ask if you want to go skiing with me, Gary and May on Sunday? Today's Wednesday, so you'll have plenty of time to get ready. If you don't have equipment I heard you can rent everything you need at the skiing resort."

Ash paled slightly. Skiing? He'd only gone once, and that one time was enough to tell him that he wasn't exactly a natural, with all the bumps and bruises he'd acquired over the 3-day trip. He didn't think he'd would have gotten any better now. And Gary would be there too. Even though they'd formed a slight friendship after Ash beat the Elite Four, he knew Gary would still jump at any chance to taunt him.

"Uh, I'll ask mom. Are parents coming, too, or is it just us four?" Saying the word 'us' made Ash twitch involuntarily.

"Hm... good question. I'll talk to Gary about it later. Well, I'm pretty sure your mom would love for you to go, so let's meet at my house on Sunday, at 9:00am. We'll go join Gary and May at Gary's place later on." Misty paused. _" What do you say, though? Do you wanna go?"_

Ash thought about saying 'No thanks, I'd rather not let you see me trip over all the time or looking ridiculously like a snowman after rolling down the slope' but he held his tongue for a while before answering; "Sure. Of course I'd love to go." 

[Maybe I put to much emphasis on 'love'? I hope I didn't sound forced...] he thought. [Or worse...!!] Swallowing silently, he began to tap his fingers on the coffee table. 

Tap tap tap tap... tap tap tap tap... tap tap tap tap...

"Ok, great! Call me back to tell me if you get permission. If you don't ring I'll assume you can't go, and I'm sure you don't wanna miss out!"

[Of course not,] though Ash, grinning to himself. "Yeah, alright. Thanks for the offer. What's your phone number again? Yeah? Ok, I'll write it down... Ok, see you on Sunday. Call you tomorrow. Sure. Bye!"

He hung up after she did, marvelling at how normal he sounded throughout the whole conversation. Almost cradling the little piece of paper with Misty's phone number on it, he jogged upstairs, slipped the paper into his diary, and, humming tunelessly, went to the bathroom to clean up his face. 

*****

"Ash? Ash, I'm home, dear!" 

Ms Ketchum's voice drifted upstairs to Ash's room, where he was lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling. What was he thinking about? Well it was pretty obvious - the ski trip. He'd been thinking about it for the last 2 hours, since Misty had phoned. Sighing, he went downstairs. Whether or not he'd make a fool of himself in front of Misty and Co. would depend on whether he could actually go. A part of him secretly wanted Mom to say no.

Of course, no such luck. Ms Ketchum agreed to let him go even before he'd finished the sentence. Jokingly, Ash asked for a way to ski like a pro before Sunday. Amazingly, his mom said she had the perfect answer.

First, the two spent the night watching a skiing video. Ash managed to learn a handful of new things, like how to balance when going down a steep slope, how to stop (-_-), and how to gain better control while walking around with skis. The next day, Mom told him to strap on his skis and try 'gliding' down the nearby hill. When Ash protested and explained to her that he'd look like a idiot if he did that, Ms Ketchum pushed him firmly into the car and drove them both there. So Ash spent the day in his skis, tripping down the hill, receiving several stares from nearby picnickers. However, even he had to admit that by the end of the day, it had gotten pretty easy to 'ski' down the hillside, though he still doubted that he had the skills to ski smoothly without accidents for over half an hour.

When he arrived home from the practise session, Ash slumped down on his bed and called Misty. "Hi, Misty. Yes, I can go. I've got skis and everything. Did you talk to Gary? You did? So... Ok, so its no parents? Uh... great! Um, I'll go to your place on Sunday...? Y-yeah? Well, bye!" Putting down the receiver, he almost died of happiness. A whole week of skiing without parents?! That was fantastic. But there was the Gary problem... 

Ash shook his head, took off his cap and closed his eyes, almost immediately falling into a deep slumber.

*****

Telltale Sign: Sweating hands, flushing face, and a pathetic attempt to look like a pro skier... 

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There's the first chapter. Continue? Delete? It all depends on the reviews... ^___^


	2. Hints

A/N: Yay! Thanks SO much to all who reviewed – stella-s55, magicalgalkairi, Paupu-Kairi, Bakura'sli'lgirl, The Awakener Viari, Pikpik246, princessdagger3, Nicky4, Cherry Arrow - I am so thankful!! Hey, this _is_ the first time I've gotten more than 2 reviews for my first chapter... hopefully you'll keep reviewing? *Puppy dog eyes* ^_^

Oops, it also seems I've forgotten to include a disclaimer in the previous chapter! *Whacks self on head* Well anyway here it is!

Disclaimer: I do not, I repeat do not, own Pokemon. Taadaa. All done. 

Oh, and both Ash and Misty are about 15. Welcome to my world of random ages. Heehee.

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Chapter Two

The days quickly passed. 

Ash woke up on Sunday morning with a minor headache. He'd had a rather unpleasant dream last night, which involved himself rolling down the skiing slope and gathering snow until he looked like a giant snowball, and yet he couldn't stop, the slope just kept going, and Gary's laughter was ringing in his ears... with a little sigh, he shook his head, pushed the windows open and stuck his head outside to get some fresh air. When his headache faded, he changed and cleaned himself up (i.e. make bed, brush teeth, sing a little in the shower...).

Half an hour later, he thudded into the kitchen. 

His mom wrinkled her nose as he walked past. "What did you put on? It smells awful."

He scowled. "It's called _deodorant_, mom." Sitting down, he grabbed a donut. "Anyway, I thought moms like perfume." 

"Ok, ok," laughed Mrs Ketchum. "Well, I'm a _special _mom. I don't like such smells."

Ash groaned. "Don't give me that." Munching nonchalantly, he absent-mindedly flipped through a magazine that was lying within arms reach. It was a Home and Garden subscription. Damn. Sighing, he finished off his breakfast with a glass of milk and flung (sort of) the magazine aside. "Shoot. Nothing to distract me with..."

Mom looked up from her own breakfast – hash browns on toast. "Distract you from what? Oh, the ski trip? Don't worry, honey, remember the practice a few nights ago? I'm sure you'll be fine." She gave him a pat on the arm.

"Easy for you to say," her son muttered. "_I've_ got my reputation on the line."

His mom chose not to argue. "Alright, but just one thing. That donut was meant to be fed to the birds. I dropped it in the garden. I just hope that you won't develop a stomachache to go with your nervousness..."

Ash paled and dived for the medicine drawer.

*****

At exactly 9:00am, after a (pretend) teary goodbye from Mrs Ketchum, Ash stopped outside Misty's front door, his luggage in the car (hehe, he managed to buy himself one, though I think he might be a little too young to drive). Peering into the frosted glass, he knocked gently. A silhouette quickly appeared in the doorway and opened the door for him. It was Misty.

"Uh... hi!" he said, grinning widely. "You ready to go? I got my car; you can put your stuff in the trunk." [Urk,] he thought. [Quickly. Offer to take her bags. Or something useful. Don't just stand there looking useless! Go! Go! GO!] "A-and, would you like some h-help carrying your gear?" His heartbeat was getting irregular. Hopefully that was just the side affects of those dodgy-looking stomach pills he took an hour or so ago.

Misty looked flustered. "Oh, could you do that please? Thanks a lot, Ash." She disappeared into the house and brought out a couple of heavy looking bags, panting as she handed Ash one. "I know, it's a little heavy, but seeing as you've got nothing in your hands..."

"Oh, it's ok," Ash almost grabbed the bag off Misty, earning a curious look from her. [Eeemph. That was a little _too_ quick. Slow down a bit... be calm... be a gentleman...] "I'll just take this... meet you at my car. It's parked out on the side of the road. Alright?"

She nodded, a little wide-eyed. "You have a car? I never knew that," she remarked. "What is it?"

"Ur... I think it's a Toyota... Lancer?" Ash's arms were getting a little sore. [Man, and Misty's carrying two of these heavyweights... I definitely need to work out a little.] Gingerly, he placed the bag on the ground and tried to rub his shoulders without her noticing. 

"What are you doing? Yoga?" asked Misty, grinning as Ash started doing weird movements. 

"Um... no..." [Ack!] "Erm, enough t-talk, let's get going already!" With that, he practically ran to the car, and loaded her stuff into the back. Climbing in, behind the steering wheel, he was soon joined by Misty. The combined weight of both teenagers' luggage made the car sink slightly. Ash hoped the tyres weren't flat. He hadn't pumped them in a while. 

The trip to Gary's place was a long and awkward one. Throughout the whole three-quarter-hour journey, neither of them talked much, and though both made good efforts to start a conversation, neither succeeded. The relief that dawned on Ash when they reached their destination was immense. He almost felt like singing and even went as far as opening his mouth before quickly realizing what he was doing and shutting it. 

"Hey Ash! Long time no see!" called Gary. "How's things going?" He added a little grin with the question.

"Fine, as usual," replied Ash. [The only thing that's not fine is my love life,] he thought. [Not fine at all.]

May beamed at him. "That's great to know!" And while Misty had turned away, she nudged him, winking. "So... what about Misty? Any... news?"

Ash turned pink. "Wha-what do you mean, any news? W-what news would I have about M-Misty?" Turning the other way, he cleared his throat and tried to calm himself down, using the technique with the deer droppings. It didn't work. 

May laughed. "Sure, sure. I'm a girl, you know," she said, smiling. "I _know_ when a girl is interested in a guy. And vice versa." Then, she left him alone and went to join Gary in loading up their stuff into his van. 

Ash stared. [She knows when a girl is interested in a guy?] He wasn't sure if he wanted to know who the 'girl' was yet... but a part of him wished that he'd been born a woman, for particular knowledge reasons.

*****

Telltale Sign: Stuttering, awkward silences, and a wish to become the opposite gender...

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Hehe. Took me a while to write this... usually I update in 1 day...

PS: No, Ash will not become a girl in any circumstances. Too complicated for little old me... ^_^


	3. May's 'Joke'

A/N: *Sniff* More reviews! So happy! *Hugs everybody who reviewed* Waaahey! Thankies to some of the previous reviewers *gives them ice-cream* and now also SpaceDementia, Ze Cookie (urk, did I really make Ash a pussy? Damn...) and Bunny Meatball *also gives them ice cream*.

Hm... I will think about Gary/May pairing. Don't know much about May though, only through playing Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire... If you can give some info on her, please tell me? That will be appreciated... heaps. ^_^

Yay, found out Mrs Ketchum's real name (Delia Ketchum). Now I can stop calling her just Mom or Mrs Ketchum +_+

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Chapter Three

They were there.

Ash sluggishly came out from the van and looked around. Pure white snow filled his vision. He covered his eyes up with his arm and found in the scenery the little hotel they were staying at.

"Isn't it pretty?" 

He jumped. "Uh, y-yeah! Of course."

Misty came up beside him, hands behind her back. "That hotel looks nice, too." 

Ash hurriedly agreed. 

"Do you have a pamphlet for this resort? I can give you one if you want," She held up what she'd been holding and handed him one. "Here. Take it."

He took it. "Thanks." 

"HEY! What are you two lovebirds doing there?! Hurry up and come on, We're going to check into our rooms!" May's voice rang out.

Both Ash and Misty blushed furiously. "Lovebirds? I'm gonna get that May..." she muttered, running off. "Let's go, Ash. Before she starts nagging again." Taking his hand, Misty pulled him along until they reached the entrance to the hotel. Gary was talking to the receptionist, while May was standing to the side, grinning from ear to ear. 

When Gary was done he turned to see Misty in one corner glaring daggers at May, who was in another corner talking to Ash. Ash had a funny expression on his face, as if he wanted desperately to escape. May seemed to be enjoying herself. Gary sighed, then grinned. "Our rooms are all ready. Unpack your things and we'll start skiing as soon as possible. That's what we came here for, right?" The others stopped and nodded at him. Then the four piled into their separate rooms.

An hour later, Ash, Misty, Gary and May were outside with thick jackets, boots and skis. 

"All ready? Let's have some fun!" yelled May, as she skied down. Gary joined her. 

[They're good... noo... in front of them I'll look like right idiot...] Despite of such thoughts, Ash steeled himself and pushed off. Halfway down the slope he was still standing and felt proud of himself. When he reached the bottom, however, he forgot to stop and fell over. A little wet, he climbed up and trudged to the top of the slope and repeated the above, getting better each time until he could just easily slide down. Just then, the rest of the group joined him. 

"What are you doing skiing in the little kids slope? Come with us to the _real_ one!" called Gary. May looked like she was stifling a giggle, while Misty glanced at him encouragingly. Ash felt himself redden, and stepped behind Misty. "Yeah, I'll come," he mumbled. 

He did surprisingly well and managed to avoid tripping too often in front of anyone. When they went inside for dinner and finished off for the day, all four of them were beaten. The boys were breathing deeply and Misty and May (standing well apart) were gasping. 

"Boy, today was tiring, and we didn't ski much at all," exclaimed May. "Damn."

Ash was just glad it was over.

After dinner, they all retired to their rooms. Ash noticed something on his desk. It was a pink letter with a red heart drawn on it. He gulped and picked it up. "What-?" He opened it slowly, his heart in his throat, which was now throbbing painfully. "A _love _letter?! From May?! What's she thinking of??? That girl... This has gotta be some kind of joke... she always showed more interest in Gary..."

Just then, someone knocked on the door. "Come in," he called. Misty poked her head in and suddenly caught sight of the envelope. Her mouth twitched. 

"Ash. What is that?" she asked stiffly. "May I see it?" 

Ash didn't want to say no, but he couldn't give it to her. He shook his head quickly and muttered, "It's nothing, just a letter to... Delia."

"I think I already know what it is..." Misty muttered, and shut the door a little forcefully behind her. Ash stared open-mouthed. Then, he exploded. 

"MAY!!!"

*****

Telltale Sign: ... Sorry, can't think of any... sacrificing some pride? +_+

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^_______________________^ 


	4. Dance Lessons

A/N: More thanks! To The Awakener Viari, Cherry Arrow, togepi2eva, Rea8, JAMO, cutie4ever, Chibi Cornpuffs *gives them ice cream, and an extra truckload to togepi4eva* ^_^ *Drinks some soup*

This chapter's dedicated to The Awakener Viari, you have been a great encouragement for me. Honest. 

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Chapter Four

Ash stormed over towards May's room, ignoring the looks that he was getting from the staff. One even tried to stop him stomping around and pushing people out of the way so hard that they tumbled backwards but that was a big mistake; he was shoved headfirst into his trolley. When Ash stopped in front of the room he was heading for, he knocked rather violently and didn't wait for permission before bursting into the room. 

A couple were reading inside. When they saw him, they stared. "Are you the room service staff?" the guy asked. The girl went back to her magazine. Ash muttered a quick apology, "Sorry, wrong room," and backed out, clicking the door shut. Embarassed as he was, he continued on his search for May. 

When he'd found the right room, he burst in. 

She looked up calmly. "Hey, Ash. What's up?"

Ash looked like he was going to strangle her. "Prepare to die, May!" 

She grinned. "I'm just gonna to going outside for a while. You wanna come? I was going to invite Gary, but apparently there was something wrong in the kitchen and he went to help out. Did you know Gary makes the most delicious meals?" She was thoughtful for a second. "Oh wait, probably not. You two aren't exactly best friends." 

Ash scowled. "Yeah, outside would be great to talk. About that _love letter _you sent me as a _joke_." He put great emphasis on 'joke', because he hoped that it was like that.

"Oh, how did things work out? Did Misty leave your room... in a temper?"

"Yeah, damn right she did." His scowl was still on his face.

"Haha... well what did you expect, a girl seeing such a _pink _letter with _hearts_ all over it in the hands of the guy she tolerates? But that's a good sign too. If she looked angry or hurt, that means she cares enough for you _to_ feel that way. And even more if she can't just contain it." She glanced around. "We'd better go outside. Misty's only a room away and it won't be good letting her hear you talking to me." Standing up, May took his arm and dragged him out the door and into the night. 

Her touch reminded him of Misty's earlier that day, when she'd taken his hand and pulled him towards the hotel. He could feel his face getting warm just at the memory. 

"So... what are you going to do about her?"

"Er... who?"

"Misty, of course! Where are your _brains_, Ash? Have they trickled out of your ears?"

"Oh... I don't know. Anyway, it was _your _fault she got angry in the first place."

"Yeah, but if it wasn't for _me_, you wouldn't know how she felt about you. So I actually helped."

"..."

"At a loss for words? I've got a plan. You know that there's a dance coming up...?"

"No, don't make me do it... I can't even dance, for one thing." Ash looked down at the pitch black ground. A moment later, May knocked on his head with a knuckle. 

"Hello, Earth to Ash! Why did you think I got you to come? _I'll _personally teach you to dance! How about that?" May giggled. 

"What?! But-but... that's as bad as Misty teaching me!" 

"Yeah, but I'm not Misty. Come on, it'll be fine. You _do _want to go to the dance, right?"

"Sure, but I don't _have_ to dance-!" 

"It's final," said May firmly, sounding like a mother to a child. "I don't want you and Misty staying apart and it's not good for you, anyway." She stood up. Ash could see her outline against the moon. "I know we'll all be much better off if you can make up to her. Thought the letter thing _was _my fault." 

"Yep, that's right."

"Let's go inside now." She shivered. "It's kinda cold out here. Its about time we got some rest, too. You'll have your first lesson tomorrow at 7pm, after dinner. Alright?"

"I'm looking forward to it," Ash muttered, as he and May made their own separate ways to their hotel rooms.

*****

The next day, Misty ignored him during breakfast and lunch. When Ash approached her during some free time, she yelled at him to go away. He though she was overreacting, but... oh well. He sighed wearily and went off alone. 

Several days passed. The dancing lessons didn't turn out to be a blast, but it was better than Ash'd imagined. May was a bit of a tomboy, so it didn't embarrass him as much to try and dance with her. The 4th lesson, on the 5th day of the trip, went especially well. It went something like this.

"Hey." 

May looked up from her book. "Hi, Ash. You're early! It's not 7:00pm yet." She grinned. "Don't tell me you're beginning to _enjoy _these lessons? Hm?"

Ash shook his head quickly. "Don't get me wrong! I still hate dancing. But I was just wondering... what do I wear for the occasion? I didn't bring anything formal! I didn't even know there was a dance!"

"There's a lot of things we didn't know. Gary found that out, and also, he found out there's a fair tomorrow, at the local theme park." she replied. "You going? It could be a good chance, to... you know."

"Don't think so, by the way she's acting..." he muttered, plopping down on the bed. "She pretty much screamed at me a couple of days ago, and now she's been ignoring me." He sighed again. "Its pretty depressing."

May gave him a pat on the back. A pretty hard pat, that made Ash yelp. "That hurt!" he grumbled. "Have you no consideration for other peoples' pain?"

"Pain, my ass!" she laughed. "That was just to wake you up. You're moping. Sulking. Stop it, it's bad for you." 

"You sound like my mother," he mumbled, then straightened. "So, are we going to have the lesson or not? Hopefully not."

"Bad luck, buster. Its an extra hour of dancing for you for saying that." 

"No!!!" Ash's wail could be heard several doors away... namely in Misty's room.

*****

She was lying face down on her pillow. And getting short of breath. Gasping, Misty freed her head from the bed and sat up, sighing. She shouldn't have shouted at Ash. Just thinking about it made her bury her head in shame again. "Why did I do that...?" she groaned. "It wasn't his fault... its not like he'd send a love letter to himself..." She started to giggle. Ash, sending a love letter to himself! Hahaha! 

Standing up, she stumbled over to her desk and wrote something down in her diary: 

'I must make up with Ash at the fair tomorrow. Must! Or at least at some stage of this ski trip...'

*****

Telltale Sign: Anger, shouting and dance lessons...

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There! Done! This is longer than my previous one, right? 


	5. The Fair, And More Trouble

A/N: Hehe, sorry Bunny Meatball, I didn't thank you last time. Well this time I'll do that! Thanks, Bunny Meatball! ^_^ And of course, all others who reviewed. *Wanders off to find some chocolate to give*

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Chapter Five

"There, that's the fairground."

It was Friday; the second-to-last day of the turning-out-to-be-disastrous-for-Ash ski trip. May was tapping gently on Gary's arm in the car and pointing to a theme park out the window. The other two were in the back, nervously keeping a small distance between themselves. 

"The theme park? How can they make enough space in there to do a fair?" frowned Gary.

"The main attractions of the fair are the rides and stuff," shrugged May. "I don't think this is a big fair; just a day of fun for the local people."

Gary nodded. "Oh, I see. Of course May has a good explanation to everything."

May punched him hard and the car almost veered of the road. Misty was thrown onto Ash, who quickly prevented her from falling any further. Then, as if realizing what he was doing, he let go and gently pushed her onto her seat. All four were panting in relief when they were safely on the road again. 

"Don't punch me so hard when I'm driving!" laughed Gary. "It'll kill us one day."

"Sorry..." mumbled May, but Gary just gave her arm a pat and turned right into the park. 

*****

"Candy floss!" laughed Misty, pointing to a stall where the fluffy, pink sugar was being made and sold. "Please, Ash, could you buy one for me? Here's some change, thanks!" She pressed a few dollars into his palm, but Ash shook his head slightly and handed them back. "That's alright. It's on me." 

She smiled gratefully. "Thanks a lot."

Ash blushed a bit. "Y-you're welcome." 

"Hey! Hey Ash! Buy some for me and May, too, will ya?" yelled Gary. 

"Yeah, ok!" 

[Misty seems to be better about the whole letter thing,] he thought happily as he asked for 4 large candy flosses. [That's great.] 

When the person in the stall jokingly asked if he was going to eat it all himself, he replied absent-mindedly, "Yeah, that's great, isn't it?" 

The man gave him a funny look and added a brochure of a local dentist with his candy as Ash took the stuff. It was only when he'd started walking back that he realized what the brochure was for, and what an idiot he must have seemed like. "A natural idiot... that's me." he mumbled, a little embarassed, and made a mental note not to volunteer to buy candy floss again.

*****

"You've got them? Thanks, Ash!" May grinned widely as she took two from his collection. "Here's some money. And don't give it back to me. You deserve it. God knows how you might have humiliated yourself during the buying."

"Argh... how did you know?" he moaned. "Were you spying on me?" 

"No... I can tell," she replied. "You're that kind of person. Half the time you can't go without doing _something _stupid."

"How insulting..." he said, looking like a sad puppy. "Ah well. I'm off to give Misty her candy floss. See you around. We'll meet at the gates of the rollercoaster at 1:00?"

"Yep. Does Misty know? If not, tell her. Oh, and make sure you two don't wander apart, we don't want to waste our day looking all over for you." 

"Yeah, yeah. I know, Mother." he laughed. "I'll tell her."

"Good. Make sure you two don't fight either. She's in a delicate mood today. She may seem happy and carefree again, but a tiny bit too much pressure will set her off again. And we don't want that, with the dance coming up tomorrow, do we?"

"Oh yeah... and I still don't know what to wear!! Do we borrow the hotel's stuff or what?"

"Yes, that's right. We'll be borrowing. They have a wide range of clothing; I'm sure you'll find a formal suit that you like, Ash. Now go along. See you at 1pm. And report back!" May smiled and waved.

He nodded, bid goodbye, and hurried off.

*****

"Thanks again, Ash."

"It's nothing... um, let's go on the Ferris Wheel!" Ash said quickly. 

"Alright!"

He and Misty spent the next 20 minutes in a small car (as in Ferris Wheel car), nervously talking ad laughing about their pokemon and how they'd have loved for their other friends to have come too. "Especially Brock," Misty had sighed. "I'd be dining on fine snacks all the time..." Ash'd felt a pang of jealousy when she said Brock but it disappeared when he heard the reason. "Yeah," he'd agreed. "I would have brought Pikachu along, but he's at Brock's place as well, getting pampered. Lucky."

The ride finished faster than they'd have expected. The candy flosses were all eaten by now as well. Misty wanted to go to the bumper cars, so Ash agreed and they lined up.

[She _is_ better, much better now.] 

"It's our turn! Let's go!" She tugged on his arm. 

"What-? Oh, yeah! Let's go!"

"Excuse me," whispered a voice. "My child's been waiting for a long time... may we go in? We've been waiting for about an hour..."

Ash turned and caught sight of a timid looking man with a small child. The child was looking hopeful. He couldn't turn them down, but... before he could say anything... 

"Sure! We'll share a car, won't we, Ash?" Misty nudged him. "It'll be fine. Come along through. I'll just explain to the staff there." She walked over to the nearby staff member, with an ID labelled 'Becky', and explained the situation. Becky smiled warmly and nodded. Misty came back grinning. "She said of course! Let's go!" 

"Thanks so much!" the man smiled. The child laughed so happily that Ash wondered how he could have ever been so selfish. [Another lesson learnt from Misty...] Suddenly, a fact hit him. They were going to have to share a little bumper car! [ARGH! Urk!] A Ferris Wheel car was large and spacey, but a bumper car was a different story. But she was already pulling him into a car... well; he might as well enjoy the ride.

He drove most of the time, but during the times that Misty drove, they were always wildly bumping or being bumped. It hurt, and Ash resolved never to let Misty drive again. With shoulders, arm and bum hurting, he struggled out of his seatbelt and stumbled outside. 

"Well, that was fun, wasn't it?" giggled Misty. "Bumper cars are so cool! Let's come back later!"

"It's 1pm... OH! We have to join May and Gary for lunch!" 

"Oh...? Ok, I was hoping that we'd have lunch by ourselves... but no problem, let's go."

Ash's heart lightened considerably at her words.

*****

"You sure this is gonna work out, May?" asked Gary worriedly. "I know Ash is my competitor and all... but he and Misty fit together. You don't want to tear them apart."

May waved a hand and gave Gary a kiss. "It'll be alright. You'll see," Glancing at her watch, she commented, "It's almost time now. Relax. Everything will be alright, Gary."

Gary gave a slight nod. "I'll trust your word."

*****

"So... what happened?" asked May, who was sitting, eating a burger and fries, next to Ash. "It seems like you two've made up?"

"Yeah, but she's kinda... I don't know. Forced? Not really... but I haven't had a chance to apologize yet."

"That'll be easy. Chances are you'll both apologize. Don't sweat it. It'll happen naturally, when you feel the time is right."

"Yeah, sure... you've got to be right."

May laughed. "You're catching on! Told you I've got it all sorted. The prank wasn't for nothing, you know."

*****

"They look so happy together..." mumbled Misty. "Laughing... talking... I wish that was me sitting there..." 

Gary, who was sitting with her, looked up from his food. "Yeah, they look like they're having a lot of fun, don't they?"

She gave him a surprised glance. "Aren't you... you know. Kind of jealous of Ash? I mean, I thought you and May were together..." she blabbered, then sighed. "Who am I kidding? Ash has more fun with May. Maybe it's time I let him go to her. But then, what about you, Gary?"

He shrugged. "I don't really know. I'll just see what Fate brings me."

Secretly, he was a little worried for her and Ash, but he hid any sign of it.

*****

"Hey Ash... I hope you don't mind this. It's for a... it's for your own good."

"What?"

"...This."

May leaned over and gave a thoroughly confused Ash a kiss.

*****

Misty bolted upright. "What did I just see?" she wondered aloud, rubbing her eyes. But there they were. May, giving Ash a kiss. Ash, sitting there, not rebelling. For a crazy moment, she thought that May was mind-controlling him. But then, a truth dawned on her. She stood up angrily, chucking the rest of her lunch into the nearby bin, grabbed Gary's arm, and stalked off. 

*****

It was an almost comical sight, Gary trying to finish his lunch while being dragged by Misty. However, Ash didn't laugh.

"May!" he hissed. "Look what you did now! What was that all about?!"

May looked at him sadly. "It was for you. Me and Gary arranged it. I knew you'd be angry, but... well, it'll work out. You'll see." With that, she slung her bag over her shoulder and walked off slowly. Ash stared after her, then sighed, depressed, and followed. 

The rest of the day passed amazingly fast. When the fair ended, the four met up by the entrance as planned. Misty refused to even look at Ash, while Gary kept giving May worried looks. May ignored the whole scene and went off to the car. "I'm driving," she announced.

"I don't care," muttered Misty, climbing into the back. Ash, was about to sit in the passenger seat, but with a look from Gary, he hurried over to the back. "Accompany Misty for now," he whispered. "I'll go in the front. It'll be better that way."

When they reached the hotel, Misty practically kicked the door open, if it were not Gary's. With a murderous look at Ash and May, she slammed the door of her own room shut. If looks could kill, the two would be writhing in their coffins by now. With a sad shake of the head, May disappeared into her own room.

"Looks like that was more severe than she'd planned," Ash heard Gary mumble, half to him and half to himself, before closing the door.

Ash found his own room a second later and flopped onto the bed without changing into his night clothes. He closed his eyes wearily and drifted off into sleep.

*****

Telltale Sign: Plans, plans, and more plans...

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Woo woo, this is such a long chappie! I didn't expect to write this much... but I did, so I hope you enjoyed! 


	6. A Happy Ending?

A/N: Oh, the pain of writing a G-rated fic! No swearing! I will not put any bad words in! Thanks to all who reviewed! Last chapter wasn't long? Its long for me... but I've seen much longer, I guess. *Sings* ^_^ *Jumps up and down* FRENZIED PANDA!!

Ahem, sorry about the 'Frenzied Panda' thing, please read! Enjoy! This is the last chapter! And yes, I think I made May take it a bit too far, but oh well... *Hands out truckloads of ice cream to all readers*

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Chapter Six

"... Ash?"

The door opened. Ash looked up and saw May. "Hi," he replied gruffly. "Good morning."

"Hey, I just came to say sorry and explain a few things," mumbled May. "Firstly, about the, um, kiss. That was because you said Misty was sounding forced. What's in an apology if it's forced? It won't sound right."

"Yeah, I guess... but Misty's _really_ angus now, and its because of _you_ again."

"Awwww, but I didn't think she'd be _that_ mad. That'll just make the dance even better."

"What do you mean? How do you expect me to dance with a person who's steaming at the ears because of me? She'll probably kick me in the kneecap, _hard_, if I ask her."

"Ah, but that's where you are wrong. Now, here's how to approach her. Stand well outside kicking distance, and ask her this..."

*****

"Hey, May, I'm going, ok? See you later." 

May gave a parting nod. "Alright, Ash."

He waved and skied away. 

After a while, Ash spotted a gift shop. [A gift for Misty? Now that would probably cheer her up. Oh, and I need one to thank May later...] As he reached into his pocket, he realized that he'd left his wallet in his room. "No!" he wailed. Thumping the ground in despair, he lost his balance and fell facefirst into the wet snow. When he struggled and managed to pull himself out, the gift shop man was looking at him in a strange way. Ash went to talk to him. "Hey, can I please borrow a gift?"

"What do you mean, borrow?" the man furrowed his brows.

"Well, it's just that I've forgotten my money in my hotel room, and it's about 40 minutes there and back, and I've got to go in half an hour. Would it be ok if I payed you back later? I really need the gifts for some... friends."

The shopkeeper caught on. "Oh, a gift for your lady? Well, since you're so desperate, I'll let you. Just make sure that you can afford what you borrow. Take a look at my selection of things. When will you be back with the money?"

Ash blushed at the mention of his 'lady'. He discussed the time with the man a little longer, picked his gifts and thanked the shopkeeper. Then, he slid away.

*****

"Hah, you look great!" May grinned as Ash came out from the changing room, dressed in his suit. He went pink. 

"I do not."

"You do so."

"Do not."

"Do so."

"Do not."

"Shut up and just wear it, it really fits you."

Ash gave the slightest hint of a pout before stalking outside. "My feet hurt from skiing all day, and it's embarassing, standing out here with an outfit like this." he complained. 

"Stop your whining. Its either that or a dress. Which one do you wanna wear to the dance?"

Ash shut up.

*****

"Hey, Misty. You look... great."

Misty gave a tight smile. "Thanks, Gary."

Gary offered her his arm. "Let's go." Under his breath he muttered, "May, you better have a happy ending set up..."

*****

"Ok, look, there's the dance hall. Let's go." May carefully made her way up the steps and motioned for Ash to follow. He did, meekly.

"Are you _sure_ this is gonna work out? I don't want Misty to get any more mad than she already is."

"Misty's angry, but I really don't think she'll get anymore so. You _did _say you bought a present for her, didn't you? Just do your best, and this night will be a fine one." 

"Oh yeah... well, alright..." Ash looked a little unsure, but entered the hall anyway.

*****

"Hey thanks, Gary, for taking me here. It's ok now, I can take care of myself now." 

"Really? Well... alright. Be careful." Gary gave Misty one last cautious glance, before entering the doors.

"Damn you, Ash Ketchum..." she muttered, and followed him into the hall. 

*****

Ash was looking around for Misty. "Where could she be...?" he thought aloud. May was long gone with Gary, and he could just spot them amongst the amll crowd. Then, as he watched them, May gave a jab as if telling him something. He couldn't lip read, but he could tell she was pointing at something. He looked over and saw a girl in a shimmering, pale aqua dress. "Is that her...?"

*****

"You think he understood that, May?" asked Gary, taking her hand. "I mean, Ash has been known for his stupidity."

May nodded, and put her head on his shoulder. "Yeah, I'm sure. This is one of those times where he can't afford to be stupid."

*****

Ash made his way through the dancing couples, treading many times on feet and hearing squeaks of pain, muttering hurried apologies until he was in fron of her. [Eek! Get out of the kicking zone!] He shuffled back a few steps until he was sure Misty's high heels couldn't reach him. "Um... Misty?"

The girl looked up. Misty was frowning, and when she saw who was speaking, a look of rage crossed her features. "What do you want, Ash?"

"Uh... do you, er, want to... dance?"

Her expression softened slightly, but then it became hard again as she spoke. "Why don't you go ask _May_ to dance?"

He mumbled something, before throwing the gift at her. She looked at it a little suspiciously, as if it could contain a bomb. Well, it paid to be cautious. Then, he scooted off.

"Ash..." she sighed, and unwrapped the box. "What...? A sapphire charm? Did he steal this or did he buy it?" Still, Misty gazed at it lovingly and instantly put it on. "You bought this for me..." She looked up but couldn't see him anywhere. 

*****

"Well, that turned out great," Ash muttered to himself. "Time for a change of tactics." He stopped in front of an ancient-looking DJ, who was playing all the waltzing music. "Hey, pops, can you play me a song?" The man glared at the word 'Pops' but he gave a slow nod. "A slow number for your girl? Sure. Can I have your name and your girlie's name?"

[Why does everyone think that she's my girlfriend?!] he thought wildly as he gave the information. "Thanks." he said, and disappeared into the crowd.

*****

__

"And now, a requested song! From Ash Ketchum. You're a lucky girl, Misty! This song's for you!"

"What?!" Misty couldn't believe what she'd just heard. "Ash got the guts to request a song?" She listened for a moment before murmuring, "And such a slow song, too... hm?" Someone had stepped up in front of her. It was the very person who requested the song. "Oh... hi, Ash. Thanks... for this." Misty held up the charm that was around her neck.

Ash suddenly felt a little more courageous. "It looks great. And... I don't want to dance with May, because... well, _you're _the one that I want to dance with, Misty."

Misty's eyes widened. "Really, Ash?"

He grinned. "Yes. It's the most truthful thing I've ever said."

She gave a beautiful smile, stood up and draped her arms around his neck.

*****

Telltale Sign: A happy ending... *sigh* Well, not quite...

*****

(The next day...)

"WHAT??! 200 bucks for that sapphire charm!!! ARE YOU SURE???"

-----

Whoa! It's the end already! Yeeek! A bit fluffy... ah well. I'm sorry if this isn't very spectacular... I truly thank all who took their time to read this fanfic, it's my first sort-of romance. *Sob* I luv you all, reviewers! I had a great time writing this, and I hope you had a good time reading this too. Thanks again, and see you! ^_^


	7. Additional Chapter Just For Kicks

A/N: Hey, everyone! I bet you're surprised that there's another chapter... bear with me for one more time, and thanks to all who reviewed chapter 6! Oh, and rainastar, did I mention that chapter 6 was the end?

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An Additional Chapter, just for the fun of it – Bloopers and Misty's Kitchen Disasters

Drakulya: First, let's have a look at the bloopers that the Pokemon characters made while acting out the fanfic, Telltale Signs.

Lights, camera, ACTION!

Chapter 1:  


Ash: Let's scrub this word off my forehead... *Scrubbing* 

*A minute later...*

Ash: ARGH! MY EYE! IT'S MELTING!!! EEEEARRGH!!!

Apparently he accidently opened his eyes while rubbing his face with a steaming hot towel. Poor Ash... *tut tut*

Chapter 2:

As the script goes...

'~Half an hour later, he thudded into the kitchen. 

His mom wrinkled her nose as he walked past. "What did you put on? It smells awful."

He scowled. "It's called _deoderant_, mom." Sitting down, he grabbed a donut. "Anyway, I thought moms like poo fumes."~'

Ash: Uh, did I just say 'poo fumes'? I meant...

Delia: -_-; Moms don't like poo fumes, in case you haven't noticed in all these 15 years, Ash dear. 

Ash: ^^; Ah ha ha ha ha...

Chapter 3:

More script...

'~"Do you have a pamphlet for this resort? I can give you one if you want," She held up what she'd been holding and threw one at him. "Here. Take it."

He doubled up as the pamphlet flew into his gut. "Ouch!"~'

Misty: Oops, I didn't realize I threw it _that_ hard. Sorry, Ash! ^_^

Ash: *Still recovering...*

Chapter 4:

While Ash was storming around, he accidentally stepped on a cat's tail. The cat shrieked and turned into a shredding machine as it furiously sharpened its claws on him.

Ash: EARGH!!! Geroff me! Geroff me!

Cat: MREOOOOOWWW!! *Continues sharpening*

10 minutes later...

May: Ash, where are you? You were supposed to come bursting into my room 5 minutes ago! If you don't hurry up we'll won't get this done- *sees the pile of Ash shavings on the carpet* Oh, I see. Well that's quite alright.

^^;

Chapter 5:

Ash and Misty get into the bumper cars, and Misty's driving...

Ash: MISTY!!! Slow down! I'm getting bruises!

Misty: You're _supposed _to get bruises from bumper cars! That's what makes it fun! Teehee! *Bumps another car hard, and...*

Ash: Whoa-! It feels like I being thrown out! *Looks down and screams*** **Wait! I _am_ being thrown out! Save me, someone!!

Misty: Hm? Did I just hear Ash yelling? *Looks beside her and gasps* OMG where _is_ he??? Ash! Ash?! *Despite the situation she is still subconciously bumping others*

Ash: Blub blub... (He got thrown out a window and landed in the nearby pool.)

Ash, poor little Ash... *sigh*

Chapter 6:

Instead of draping her arms around his neck as supposed to, Misty formed a large fist with her two hands and, misplacing them, accidentally hit Ash _hard_ on the head. There was crack, then silence... and then a bang as Ash fell to the floor, laying there and twitching. 

Misty: Oh, not again...

She's done it more that once? Ash, we'll be needing to buy a coffin for you soon...

*****

Drakulya: Oh, such pain in the backstages... let's ignore that now and go on to...

Misty's Kitchen Disasters

Example 1:

Misty: Pass the eggs, please Ash. I'm gonna _speed-cook_ them!

Ash: Alright, here. Let's see your speed-cook way.

Misty: ^^ *Puts eggs in microwave and sets it to cook for 2 minutes*

Ash: O~O I can smell trouble... 

Eggs: *In a tiny voice* No! Donutee microwavee ussee! No! No! 

*BAM*

Eggs: *Dead*

Misty and Ash: *Alive but splattered in egg guts*

Ash: *Is hit by microwave door on the nose* Hit me baby one more time... *faints*

Misty: *Wiping away gook* Damn, I almost got him in the eyes!

Example 2:

May: Mmmm, this new stove smells wonderful.

Misty: Huh? Really? What does it smell like? *Secretly itching to smell it too*

May: Ah... it smells of all the good things in this world... mint leaves... Spring dew... ahhhhhh...

Misty: *Can contain her curiousity no longer* Can I smell it too?

May: _ Sure. Go ahead. 

Misty: *Leans close and burns nose* Hmm! It's tru! It _does _smell great! *Nose catches on fire*

May: @_@ *Puts fire out and calls local doctor*

Example 3:

Misty: Hey guys! I just finished my soup! Come have a taste!

*Ringing silence*

Misty: o COME OUT EVERYONE! I KNOW YOU'RE THERE!

*Ash, Pikachu, Brock, Gary and May slink out meekly*

Misty: ^_^ That's better. Now sit down and try my soup. I _insist_.

Ash: How can we refuse... *sniffs soup* Uh, this smells... interesting. Ah ha ha ha ha. 

Pikachu: *Copies Ash and sniffs* Pik- pika...

Brock: Let's try it... *slurp* *coughs delicately* I, uh, need to go to the toilet... *BARF*

Misty: Hmmf! Fine then! You'll drink, won't you, May and Gary?

May and Gary: Oh! We're going out tonight. I forgot! Tootles! *Scurries off*

Pikachu: Pike, pika chuchu, chuuuuuuuuuu... *indicates throat*

Misty: *Narrows eyes* What's Pikachu saying, Ash?

Ash: Ah ha ha ha ha... he, uh... needs some of Brock's special Pokemon couph drops, because he has a sore throat, you see. Ah ha ha ha ha... off you go, Pikachu.

Pikachu: *Nodding furiously and runs off*

Misty: Now Ash... since you're the last one left, you have the special privilage to drink all the soup! Isn't that lovely? ^_^

Ash: *Stares down at all the mysterious gunk floating on the surface and suddenly loses his appetite and the will to live* Ah... ha... ha... ha... ha...

*****

Drakulya: Hope you all enjoyed that! Teehee! Its just a last bit of fun! Hahaha...

*****

END of TELLTALE SIGNS

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That's all! Hope you liked it! Thanks to all readers!


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